Fire at Suame Magazine destroys 25 shops, 34 vehicles

A devastating fire has gutted a section of the Suame Garages in Kumasi, leaving several spare parts dealers and artisans counting their losses.

The inferno, which occurred late last Friday, destroyed about 25 spare parts shops and 34 vehicles, including buses and salon cars parked at a workshop, reducing properties worth millions of cedis to ashes.

The fire was reported to have started at about 10 p.m. from one of the shops in the area, which had developed an electrical fault. Fire tenders reportedly rushed to the scene to extinguish the blazing fire as residents nearby sought refuge.

Although personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service responded to the incident, some affected traders expressed disappointment, claiming the intervention was not swift enough to minimise the destruction.

Loss, fire station

Victims are now counting their losses having lost millions of cedis to the destruction.

 Some victims sifting through the remnants of their goods destroyed by the fire

Some of them have blamed their leadership, the Ghana National Association of Garages, for failing to allocate space for a fire station in the area, arguing that the absence of a nearby fire station contributed to the extensive damage.

They emphasised the urgent need for a dedicated fire station, given the presence of highly flammable materials and equipment used in their work.

They stated that the previously existing fire station within Ashanti Region’s largest auto-mechanic hub was relocated to a farther destination, making timely responses to emergencies difficult.

An artisan, Peter Asiedu, who has worked in the enclave for nearly 30 years, said he could not salvage any of his equipment, including restocked items.

“I had bought new items for sale later. But all have been burnt. I don’t know what exactly I will be coming here to do since the shop is burnt. I am worried about how to fend for my family,” he told the news team.

A witness recounted: “The fire tender from Mampongteng came first. The fire hadn’t even gutted five cars. But it couldn’t douse the fire. It took the Ejisu fire tender to extinguish the fire.”

Recurrence

The Suame industrial enclave, the region’s largest auto-mechanic and trading centre, every now and then, records fire incidents due to the many highly combustible items in the area.

Two years ago, about 15 shops in the enclave were destroyed following a fire incident.

Mechanic shops at Zone 13 of the Suame Magazine enclave were also destroyed by the inferno.

Also in 2018, an area of the industrial enclave caught fire, burning 14 shops to ashes.

It also destroyed some properties, including spare parts and refrigerators.